Mon. June 27, 2022: Mid-Year Check-in

image courtesy of Peter H. via pixabay.com

We are almost at the halfway point of the year. How are you doing? In general, and in terms of your goals?

Overall, I am in a much better place this year than I was at this point a year ago, both mentally and physically. For that, I am grateful. I feel like I’m healing the tears in my creativity, and I can creatively function again, which had become a problem when I was sick during the pandemic, and then dealing with the move and the aftermath of exhaustion.

Learn One New Thing: I’d picked the one new thing I want to learn this year as Italian, and knew I couldn’t even begin to start that commitment until July. I am investigating various possibilities so I can start the work either the first or second week of July, and carve out a little bit of time 5 days/week to work on it.

I’m learning more than one new thing, because I’m taking time to learn some graphics programs, but I’m happy to learn more than expected!

The short trips have been redefined. Ithaca has been postponed, probably until next summer. The entire reason to go was a pilgrimage to Moosewood. Since they’ve had to close several times due to COVID infections, it means the customers are coming in sick and contaminating the place, and I am not comfortable even dining outside. So I will wait. With numbers rising, I am not comfortable going to Montreal yet, either.  The conference in August is virtual, thank goodness, because I am not comfortable yet attending conferences in person.

We’ve been doing day trips: to Lake George, to the Berkshire Botanical Garden, and we have a few more planned for the summer. There’s a possibility of a couple of nights away in the autumn, provided the virus numbers look good, and we get a place with a kitchen, so we don’t have to worry about dining.

Social interactions. I’m still very cautious. Most people are still masking indoors here, so that’s a plus. I attend art events, usually early in the event, so that I can slip out if it gets crowded. I’m taking my first in-person yoga class in nearly three years tomorrow night, in a studio with strict protocols. The bulk of my social interactions happen at the Farmers’ Market or the library. I wanted to participate with Word X Word, and I am involved in the World’s Largest Poem next month, so I’m meeting that goal!

I realize that it still might not be cautious enough. The only true caution would be continued isolation. Every risk I try to calculate, because I still have to build a life here. If I mis-calculate, I will have to pay the price in illness.

There are still people who are being excommunicated from my universe (mostly virtual, at this point) because they show their true colors and cannot be trusted. But that’s just part of life. People come into your life for a period of time for a reason. Some of them drift away; others need to be removed.

Work. I’ve been doing more radio writing, which I love. I have not pushed hard enough in the content/copywriting, and I have to rev that up in the second half of the year. The script coverage has been too erratic lately, and I don’t want to depend on that income too much.

Mental/physical health. Yoga and meditation. Where I live now is in walking distance from lots of great stuff, so I’m also walking more (and bought a pair of Timberlands to support that). I’m  not yet comfortable enough to go to Kripalu in person, but I hope to do so at some point.

Dreams. I’m starting to allow myself to dream a little again. Most of my dreams are centered around travel, and I have to keep pushing back dates, because I don’t feel comfortable travelling. I’m sure as heck not going to fly yet, with the way the airlines are so cavalier. But allowing myself the dreaming and planning is fun.

Joy. I’ve been afraid to be happy for far too long, afraid I would just get beaten down again. So I’m teaching myself to be happy in the small things: reading on the porch, playing with the cats, spending time at the lake, the farmers’ market, etc. Those have always made me happy, but I’m taking more time to acknowledge and appreciate them.

How are you doing, half-way through the year?

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